Table 16.21 shows the area of crops in the states and territories of Australia since 1880-81, and table 16.22 is a summary of the area, production and gross value of the principal crops in Australia over recent years.

16.21 AREA OF CROPS

NSW

Vic.

Qld

SA

WA

Tas.

NT

ACT

Aust.

’000 ha

’000 ha

’000 ha

’000 ha

’000 ha

’000 ha

’000 ha

’000 ha

'000 ha

1880-81

245

627

46

846

26

57

-

-

1,846

1890-91

345

822

91

847

28

64

-

-

2,197

1900-01

990

1,260

185

959

81

91

-

-

3,567

1910-11

1,370

1,599

270

1,112

346

116

-

-

4,813

1920-21

1,807

1,817

316

1,308

730

120

-

1

6,099

1930-31

2,756

2,718

463

2,196

1,939

108

1

2

10,184

1940-41

2,580

1,808

702

1,722

1,630

103

-

2

8,546

1949-50

2,295

1,881

832

1,518

1,780

114

-

4

8,424

1959-60

2,888

1,949

1,184

1,780

2,628

130

1

3

10,564

1969-70

4,999

2,212

2,208

2,290

3,912

98

6

2

15,728

1979-80

5,243

2,243

2,334

2,771

5,281

79

2

1

17,954

1990-91

4,073

2,063

2,872

2,933

5,359

75

6

-

17,382

1991-92

3,846

2,039

2,302

2,920

5,216

76

5

-

16,404

1992-93

3,906

2,258

2,316

3,073

5,668

73

4

1

17,297

1993-94

4,209

2,317

2,394

2,940

6,100

78

5

-

18,043

1994-95

3,432

2,296

2,056

2,991

6,182

77

4

-

17,040

1995-96

4,757

2,439

2,495

3,219

6,419

75

4

-

19,409

1996-97

5,589

2,552

2,685

3,279

6,950

73

5

-

21,133

1997-98

5,648

2,565

2,682

3,290

7,328

78

4

-

21,595

1998-99

6,173

2,749

3,014

3,648

7,597

76

7

-

23,264

1999-2000

6,114

3,081

3,130

3,670

7,691

77

6

-

23,769

Source: Agriculture, Australia (7113.0).

16.22 SELECTED CROPS, Area, production and gross value

Area(a)

Production

Gross value

1997-98

1998-99

1999-2000

1997-98

1998-99

1999-2000

1997-98

1998-99

1999-2000

’000 ha

’000 ha

’000 ha

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

’000 tonnes

$m

$m

$m

Cereals for grain

Barley

3,521

3,167

2,596

6,482

5,987

5,032

1,032

835

865

Grain sorghum

507

587

622

1,081

1,891

2,116

183

282

260

Maize

57

64

82

272

338

406

55

60

62

Oats

937

909

584

1,634

1,798

1,118

223

157

118

Rice

147

148

131

1,324

1,362

1,084

341

360

289

Wheat

10,441

11,543

12,168

19,227

21,465

24,757

3,802

4,011

4,831

Lupins for grain

1,425

1,406

1,347

1,561

1,696

1,968

306

242

286

Crops cut for hay

Cereal crops for hay

401

425

357

1,567

1,827

1,429

194

196

146

Non-cereal crops for hay

59

45

47

170

126

159

20

14

25

Other crops

Sugar cane cut for crushing

415

402

428

39,531

38,534

38,165

1,248

1,044

882

Tobacco

3

3

3

8

7

8

46

40

49

Cotton lint(b)

381

446

435

564

634

698

1,228

1,353

1,416

Peanuts (in shell)

19

21

20

32

47

40

22

31

27

Soybean

32

55

56

54

107

104

22

44

36

Canola

698

1,247

1,911

855

1,690

2,460

330

643

760

Sunflower

90

195

162

84

220

170

34

81

64

Orchard fruit

Oranges

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

500

446

510

258

296

276

Apples

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

309

334

320

273

321

274

Pears (excluding Nashi)

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

153

157

156

108

112

72

Peaches

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

65

66

86

53

65

74

Other fruit

Bananas

10

11

12

223

225

257

230

266

284

Pineapples

3

3

3

123

131

139

37

39

44

Grapes

78

95

111

1,112

1,266

1,311

998

1,200

1,118

Vegetables

Carrots

7

7

7

267

257

283

151

167

154

Potatoes

43

41

37

1,372

1,327

1,200

493

438

382

Tomatoes

8

9

8

380

394

414

167

192

190

All crops (excluding pastures and grasses)

21,595

23,264

23,769

. .

. .

. .

14,695

15,520

16,316

(a) Area is productive area.(b) Value of cotton includes value of cotton seed.

In Australia, cereals are divided into autumn-winter-spring growing (winter cereals) and spring-summer-autumn growing (summer cereals). Winter cereals such as wheat, oats, barley and rye are usually grown in rotation with some form of pasture such as subterranean clover, medics or lucerne. In recent years, alternative winter crops such as canola, field peas and lupins have been introduced to crop rotation in areas where they had not previously been grown. Rice, maize and sorghum are summer cereals, the latter being grown in association with winter cereals in some areas. In northern Australia there are two rice growing seasons.

Wheat

Wheat is Australia's largest crop. It is produced in all states but primarily on the mainland in a narrow crescent known as the wheat belt. Inland of the Great Dividing Range, the wheat belt stretches in a curve from central Queensland through New South Wales, Victoria and southern South Australia. In Western Australia, the wheat belt continues around the south-west of the state and some way north, along the western side of the continent (see map 16.23).

Final estimates for the 1999-2000 season show that wheat production increased by 15% over the 1998-99 season to a record 24.8 million tonnes (table 16.24). New South Wales recorded the biggest increase in production, up by 31% to 8.6 million tonnes, followed by Victoria which was up by 81% to 2.6 million tonnes. Western Australia remained the biggest producer of wheat with a record state harvest of 9.0 million tonnes.

16.23WHEAT FOR GRAIN, Production - 1996-97(a)(a) This map has been generated using small area Agricultural Census data for 1996-97.Source: AgStats on Floppy Disk (7117.0).

16.24 WHEAT FOR GRAIN

NSW

Vic.

Qld

SA

WA

Tas.

Aust.

AREA (’000 ha)

1994-95

1,424

822

401

1,395

3,848

1

7,891

1995-96

2,328

853

627

1,519

3,892

1

9,221

1996-97

3,192

963

980

1,535

4,264

2

10,936

1997-98

2,936

857

1,001

1,438

4,205

3

10,441

1998-99

3,174

949

1,139

1,762

4,515

4

11,543

1999-2000

3,425

1,235

1,096

1,850

4,556

6

12,168

PRODUCTION (’000 tonnes)

1994-95

875

934

225

1,487

5,438

3

8,961

1995-96

4,508

1,921

519

2,724

6,827

4

16,504

1996-97

8,363

2,262

1,980

2,795

7,516

8

22,925

1997-98

5,906

1,503

1,392

2,689

7,725

12

19,227

1998-99

6,563

1,462

1,941

3,310

8,170

18

21,465

1999-2000

8,602

2,642

1,904

2,586

9,004

20

24,757

Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0).

Oats

Oats are traditionally grown in moist, temperate regions. However, improved varieties and management practices have enabled oats to be grown over a wider range of soil and climatic conditions. They have a high feed value and produce a greater bulk of growth than other winter cereals; they need less cultivation and respond well to superphosphate and nitrogen. Oats have two main uses: as a grain crop, and as a fodder crop (following sowing, fallow or rough sowing into stubble or clover pastures). Fodder crops can either be grazed and then harvested for grain after removal of livestock, or else mown and baled or cut for chaff.

Map 16.25 shows the production of oats for grain in Australia in 1996-97.

16.25 OATS FOR GRAIN, Production - 1996-97(a)(a) This map has been generated using small area Agricultural Census datafor 1996-97.Source: AgStats on Floppy Disk (7117.0).

Production of oats fell by 38% to 1.1 million tonnes in 1999-2000, with falls recorded in all states. The largest falls in production were recorded in New South Wales (down by 58% to 284,000 tonnes) and Victoria (down by 35% to 296,000 tonnes), leaving Western Australia as the main producing state with a harvest of 439,000 tonnes (table 16.26).

16.26 OATS FOR GRAIN

NSW

Vic.

Qld

SA

WA

Tas.

Aust.

AREA (’000 ha)

1994-95

375

148

14

95

256

8

897

1995-96

505

187

14

120

300

10

1,136

1996-97

393

175

39

121

316

8

1,052

1997-98

325

172

16

111

305

8

937

1998-99

354

188

18

112

228

8

909

1999-2000

160

138

10

70

199

6

584

PRODUCTION (’000 tonnes)

1994-95

197

201

3

87

425

11

924

1995-96

711

392

7

162

585

18

1,875

1996-97

607

304

26

156

546

14

1,653

1997-98

488

369

13

153

596

15

1,634

1998-99

669

458

15

178

463

14

1,798

1999-2000

284

296

12

78

439

10

1,118

Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0).

Barley

This cereal contains two main groups of varieties, 2-row and 6-row. The former is generally, but not exclusively, preferred for malting purposes. Barley is grown principally as a grain crop, although in some areas it is used as a fodder crop for grazing, with grain being subsequently harvested if conditions are suitable. It is often grown as a rotation crop with wheat, oats and pasture. When sown for fodder, sowing may take place either early or late in the season, as barley has a short growing period. It may therefore provide grazing or fodder supplies when other sources are not available. Barley grain may be crushed to meal for stock or sold for malting. Map 16.27 shows the production of barley for grain in Australia in 1996-97.

16.27 BARLEY FOR GRAIN, Production - 1996-97(a)(a) This map has been generated using small area Agricultural Census datafor 1996-97.Source: AgStats on Floppy Disk (7117.0).

Barley production fell by 16% to 5.0 million tonnes in 1999-2000 (table 16.28). Falls in barley production were recorded in all states except Victoria, where production increased by 37% to 1.2 million tonnes after a poor season in 1998-99.

16.28 BARLEY FOR GRAIN

NSW

Vic.

Qld

SA

WA

Tas.

Aust.

AREA (’000 ha)

1994-95

410

492

93

882

579

14

2,470

1995-96

593

628

168

964

745

14

3,111

1996-97

668

585

180

1,009

909

15

3,366

1997-98

701

618

135

1,017

1,036

13

3,521

1998-99

638

568

163

975

811

11

3,167

1999-2000

476

585

130

845

550

9

2,596

PRODUCTION (’000 tonnes)

1994-95

291

448

73

1,159

915

27

2,913

1995-96

1,074

1,342

195

1,851

1,323

38

5,823

1996-97

1,483

1,189

429

1,923

1,635

35

6,696

1997-98

1,365

928

205

2,027

1,926

31

6,482

1998-99

1,247

870

320

2,051

1,469

30

5,987

1999-2000

1,040

1,189

254

1,409

1,117

22

5,032

Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0).

Grain sorghum

The sorghums are summer growing crops which are used in a number of ways: grain sorghum for grain; sweet or fodder sorghum, Sudan grass and, more recently, Columbus grass for silage, green feed and grazing; and broom millet for brooms and brushware. However, the grain is used primarily as stockfeed and is an important source for supplementing other coarse grains for this purpose.

Grain sorghum has been grown extensively only in the last two decades, with Queensland producing around 62% of the harvest (table 16.29). Grain sorghum is the third biggest cereal crop (in terms of production) in Australia despite it only being grown in significant quantities in Queensland and New South Wales.

16.29 GRAIN SORGHUM

NSW

Vic.

Qld

SA

WA

Tas.

Aust.(a)

AREA (’000 ha)

1994-95

161

6

519

(b)

-

(b)

687

1995-96

171

2

597

(b)

-

(b)

770

1996-97

117

1

424

-

1

(b)

544

1997-98

123

3

379

-

1

(b)

507

1998-99

216

**

367

-

*2

(b)

587

1999-2000

200

*1

419

(b)

*2

(b)

622

PRODUCTION (’000 tonnes)

1994-95

347

8

916

(b)

2

(b)

1,273

1995-96

472

4

1,116

(b)

-

(b)

1,592

1996-97

417

3

1,003

-

2

(b)

1,425

1997-98

382

6

691

-

2

(b)

1,081

1998-99

822

**

1,059

-

*6

(b)

1,891

1999-2000

804

**

1,308

(b)

*2

(b)

2,116

(a) Includes NT.(b) Not collected.

Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0).

Maize

Maize is a summer cereal demanding specific soil and climatic conditions. Maize for grain is almost entirely confined to the south-east regions and the Atherton Tablelands of Queensland, and the north coast, northern slopes and tablelands, and the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area in New South Wales. Small amounts are grown for green feed and silage in association with the dairy industry.

In 1999-2000, maize for grain production increased by 20% to 406,000 tonnes (table 16.30).

16.30 MAIZE FOR GRAIN

NSW

Vic.

Qld

SA

WA

Tas.

Aust.(a)

AREA (’000 ha)

1994-95

21

1

27

(b)

2

(b)

50

1995-96

24

1

31

(b)

-

(b)

56

1996-97

31

1

34

-

1

-

67

1997-98

22

1

34

-

-

-

57

1998-99

27

1

37

**

*-

-

64

1999-2000

22

1

59

(b)

*-

(b)

82

PRODUCTION (’000 tonnes)

1994-95

145

5

80

(b)

11

(b)

242

1995-96

190

7

114

(b)

1

(b)

311

1996-97

256

7

130

-

5

-

398

1997-98

161

10

97

-

3

-

272

1998-99

186

3

145

**

*4

-

338

1999-2000

178

4

224

(b)

*-

(b)

406

(a) Includes NT.(b) Not collected.

Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0).

Rice

Nearly all of Australia's rice is grown in New South Wales, with production centered in the Murrumbidgee and Murray Irrigation areas. It was first grown commercially in 1924-25 in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, which remains the largest individual producing region to this day.

Rice production fell in 1999-2000 by 20% to 1.1 million tonnes (table 16.31).

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